Halls of the Dead

~Chapter 20- Lockdown~

~Chapter 20- Lockdown~

"I have grave news to share for the city of Mortel. Several monks of the Hall of the Dead were murdered last night... as was my son. Prince Norton. The culprits are Lumb, Ceptance, and Deporah Dolor. Kingsguard soldiers are to kill them on sight. Until their capture, the city will be closed, None shall leave or enter. Any information leading to their capture will be greatly rewarded. These fiends must be brought to justice!"

Dark clouds came over the city of Mortel as each of the cardinal gates was locked down. Soldiers of the Kingsguard scoured the city for traces of the family as a heavy downpour began. Other soldiers were positioned at each of the gates, ensuring there would be no escape for them.

Rain turned the dirt roads leading out of the inner ring of the city into a muddy mess. In the outer ring of the city, civilians remained boarded up in their homes, hoping for this mess to be resolved soon.

A house in the outer ring was blanketed in rain, one that had been abandoned for years. Moss grew around its base, and superstitious individuals steered away from the home. Murders had occurred in that home a decade ago, and it was left to rot. The city would've torn the home down if not for the owners' demand that it not be touched.

The sun had barely risen when three individuals visited the home - the three whom the entire city had been searching for. Ceptance had an arm over Lumb's shoulder as she struggled to stay upright, and Deporah fidgeted with her key to the home. As soon as they opened it, they sleuthed inside, promptly shutting the door behind them.

Deporah looked about her old home. Aside from the dust, it was untouched since she had last been there.

"Where can she lay down?" Lumb asked.

Deporah pointed to her old room, "The bed in there should be fine."

Ceptance breathily replied, "Thank you, dear."

Lumb trudged his mother through the house into the bedroom, promptly getting her into bed and pulling tattered covers over her.

Deporah placed a hand on the table set squarely in the center of her home. She recalled days with her mother and father here, only for memories of that terrible night to resurface again.

She sat in a chair, feeling it splinter and crack from her weight. She transitioned to another chair that had better withstood the test of time.

"Are you alright?" Lumb asked desperately in the other room.

"Yes," Ceptance uttered, "I only need some rest."

Lumb entered the main room of the home, his face drained. All of them were exhausted. If they were just a bit slower, the Kingsguard might've caught them.

Lumb placed a hand on the same chair Deporah had sat in. The little bit of weight he put on it caused the legs to give out and break. Lumb had to catch himself from falling with it.

"Sorry, should've warned you," Deporah remarked.

Lumb smiled, "It wouldn't be the worst thing to happen."

The smile quickly disappeared. Lumb picked the chair across from Deporah and made sure it was sturdy enough to support his weight before sitting down. He and Deporah sat across from each other with folded arms, saying nothing, simply letting everything that had happened to them sink in.

Lumb revealed a book with a metal spine and a lock on it. He placed it on the table and slid it to Deporah.

"We found this with the monk Thomas. It seemed important to him."